Tulsa celebrated the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at the very first Dream On Fest, hosted by Sanicle!
In partnership with Cinergy Entertainment and Metropolitan Baptist Church of Tulsa, this two-day event featured a free movie screening of Selma, a panel discussion, an induction ceremony, compelling insights from Phillip K. Armstrong, community service, and a commemorative church service.
Rooted in Dr. King’s dream, the team at Sanicle crafted a program to inspire the Tulsa community and empower a new generation of powerful, positive social change-makers.
“We want to celebrate Dreams and raise awareness on Period Poverty while also honouring the civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., along with the history this holiday weekend represents” – Roxanne Stewart, CEO, Sanicle.us
The Film and the Fireside
On day one, the free screening of Selma provided an opportunity for Tulsa residents to reflect on what Dr. King stood for in the past, providing insight into how communities can move forward today.
Following the screening, five powerful panelists took the stage to engage in discussion around the pursuit of a “Beloved Community”— Dr. King’s vision for a local living environment free of hatred, injustice, and poverty.
The panel reflected on the five pillars of success: Mental Health; Creativity; Entrepreneurship; Local Advocacy/Service; and Finance. Nicole English of the University of Oklahoma was the host and moderator joined by the following panelists:
Amnoni Myers, You Are the Prize (Mental Health)
Obum Ukabam, Black Actors League (Creativity)
Crystal Ifekoya, Boss Encounters (Entrepreneurship)
Angela K. Chambers, VP NAACP Tulsa (Local Advocacy and Service)
Ray’chel Wilson, Raise the Bar Investments (Finance)
“If it doesn’t scare you it’s probably not a big enough goal.” – Ray’chel Wilson, CFEI®, Raise the Bar Investments
“There are different ways to serve others, including volunteering your time, donating to causes you care about, helping out neighbours and friends and participating in local and global initiatives. Volunteering your time is a great way to make a direct impact in your community, and can range from helping out the increasing growing population of the homeless community.” Angela K. Chambers, VP NAACP Tulsa, opening remarks.
The Dream on Service award is for the bravest and most daring, forward-thinking woman leaders and Institutions in Tulsa. It is based on outstanding leadership qualities and demonstration of excellence and innovation in humanitarian practices and socio-economic development in Tulsa, exceptional contribution, and persistent advocacy to promote the attainment of peace, integrity, democracy, and good governance in Tulsa.
Honorees in attendance included Build In Tulsa, Libryia Jones of Quit Commuting, and Kasha Taylor of Melanin Vibes.
“Community is so important for two reasons so that people don’t feel like they’re the outsider and They’re the only one or sort of people who get exposed to things so that they can expand what it means to design their life.” Said honoree Libryia Jones, of Quit Commuting.
“There’s something here whether it’s Tulsa Remote or just beginning their journey, or whether they are native of Tulsa, and they’re wanting to expand their horizons, just getting a network or even just expanding their understanding of entrepreneurship, this is where you should plug in. The power of community is real.” Said honoree Kasha Taylor of Melanin Vibes
Keynote speaker Phil K. Armstrong, interim Executive Director of Greenwood Rising History Center, took to the stage kicking off his session with a reminder that Tulsa has unique opportunities and resources not found in other cities.
“It is a fact – Tulsa Oklahoma has more philanthropic organizations than any other city in the United States of America…And they are all geared towards making substantive and systemic changes in this community.” – Phil K Armstrong, Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center
Things got emotional as Armstrong shared stories from his past and closed out the night reciting Martin Luther King Jr’s Drum Major Instinct sermon line for line, encouraging the community to “remember and rise!”
Practicing What He Preached
Day two of the festival featured a community service project and church service at the Metropolitan Church Tulsa in partnership with the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. 50 boxes of nonperishable food items and 50 Sanicle emergency menstrual health kits were distributed to the public!
The church service amplified the messages and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. encouraged all community members to ‘Dream Forward’, and culminated in a tribute to both Dr. Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On day three of the festival, Sanicle walked with Crystal Ifekoya from WHOW (Women Helping Other Women) at the 44th Annual MLK Day Parade giving out candy to children.
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Dream On Fest is an initiative launched by Sanicle, a Social Enterprise dedicated to breaking the cycle of period poverty by fostering understanding and trusting environments.
Sanicle recently partnered with Cinergy Entertainment in 2022 to host the “Women of Wakanda Summit”, featuring a special screening of Wakanda Forever and a panelist of powerful women in various industries.
To learn more about Sanicle’s events and mission visit Sanicle.us and don’t forget to follow them on Instagram.
Video Credit: Aaron Lucas of Higher View Productions
Photo Credit: Roxanne Stewart and Zaakirah Muhammad
Writing Credit: Jaslyn Marcal Ferguson
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